For pictures I like to have the rider settings to the point that he is hanging off the bike as far as possible. From that angle it does look like the elbow is on the ground. Just think of that being Ben spies, He rides with the elbows waaay out there.
I tend to brake a little late and I rely on the rider's body to help slow the bike down.
Some of the vertical ones looked out of proportion, did you leave them that way on purpose?
[empty space];2705311kaede - thats what happens when you leave the widescreen turn on when taking a vertical picture. horizontal pictures come out at 1280 x 720 iirc. but, vertical pictures will always come out at normal size and distort the pictures.